Takamura Hamono Seisakujo

Takamura's own history page writes the founder's name only in kanji (高村勇); we know him as Isamu Takamura. The page says he was born in 1910, began smith training at 13 in 1923, and in December 1945 set up the forge that is now Takamura Hamono. Its early products were nakiri and farm blades, and as the times changed, home and professional kitchen knives became its main work. In 1954 the second generation, Toshiyuki, set out to make a stainless knife that cuts well, and the workshop forged stainless knives in integrated production from 1958, with tsuchime stainless knives following in 1964.

Its history lists the powder steel milestones: powder high-speed steel clad knives from 1982, powder stainless high-speed steel clad knives from 1985, and forged powder stainless Damascus knives from 1987. Takamura says it began making knives in such new materials earlier than anyone else. The history also records small ceremonial knives the workshop made for Ise Jingu, including for the Shikinen Sengu. Toshiyuki received the Fukui governor's award for excellent skill in 1987, was named a Contemporary Master Craftsman in 2015 and received the Medal with Yellow Ribbon in 2016. Takamura says its professional knives sell in more than 20 countries, including Germany, Sweden and Australia.

Its history also lists the Brazen TAKAMURA professional line (2002) and the Uchigumo forged powder stainless Damascus (2003), and the company says its iiza yobocho series won the iF Design Award 2017 gold, a first for Japan's knife industry. We list its SG2 Migaki in gyuto and santoku, and the Chromax Tsuchime santoku.